Linaria dalmatica subsp. dalmatica
Dalmatian toadflax, Dalmatian Toadflax
Salicyna (via Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA
Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Linaria dalmatica subsp. dalmatica (Dalmatian toadflax) is a non-native California herb in the Plantaginaceae family, recognized by perennial habit, clasping leaves, and yellow flowers.
Dalmatian toadflax is a naturalized perennial herb found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, northern Sierra Nevada, Central Valley, central western California, eastern Great Basin, and southern California at elevations below 2,080 meters in roadsides, fields, open areas in yellow-pine forest, pinyon and juniper woodland, and sagebrush scrub. Flowering from April to September, this plant produces bright yellow flowers with a distinctive lower lip that is densely white to orange-hairy, forming blooms 20 to 50 millimeters long. Growing with erect, branched stems 20 to 120 centimeters tall, it develops a robust and spreading habit. Its leaves are crowded, rigid, and lanceolate to ovate, measuring less than 60 millimeters long, with acute to long-tapered tips that slightly clasp the stem. The small seed capsules are 3 to 7 millimeters long, containing pyramid-shaped seeds with distinct ridges.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Co-occurs with 5 species; distinguished by perennial habit, clasping leaves, and yellow flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, open areas in yellow-pine forest, pinyon/juniper woodland, sagebrush scrub
Elevation: < 2080 m
California counties: Mono, Modoc, Sierra, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Trinity, Butte, El Dorado, San Bernardino, Placer, Santa Clara, Nevada, Yolo, Kern, Sacramento, Siskiyou, Ventura, Alpine, Monterey
Outside California: widely naturalized, native to Mediterranean
Bloom period
Linaria dalmatica subsp. dalmatica blooms Apr-Sep.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
How to tell it apart
vs Antirrhinum: Linaria has a true backward-pointing spur; Antirrhinum has only a sac-like swelling at flower base.; vs Nemesia: Linaria has a long backward-pointing spur; Nemesia has a short spur or pouch.; vs Collinsia: Linaria has spurred flowers with throat swelling; Collinsia has keeled lower lip with stamens tucked inside.; vs Salvia: Linaria has five stamens and spurred flowers; Salvia has two stamens and square stems.
Frequently asked questions
Is Linaria dalmatica subsp. dalmatica native to California?
No. Linaria dalmatica subsp. dalmatica is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Linaria dalmatica subsp. dalmatica bloom?
Linaria dalmatica subsp. dalmatica blooms Apr-Sep.
Where in California does Linaria dalmatica subsp. dalmatica grow?
Linaria dalmatica subsp. dalmatica occurs in Mono, Modoc, Sierra, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Trinity, Butte, El Dorado and other counties, at elevations of < 2080 m.
What plant family does Linaria dalmatica subsp. dalmatica belong to?
Linaria dalmatica subsp. dalmatica is in the Plantaginaceae family, genus Linaria.
Is Linaria dalmatica subsp. dalmatica invasive in California?
Linaria dalmatica subsp. dalmatica is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.